Shuffle feed sizing mechanism



United States Patent [72] Inventor Chester Green,

San Jose, California [21] Appl. No. 706,505 [22] Filed Feb. 19, 1968[45] Patented Dec. 1, 1970 [73] Assignees Genevieve I. Ilanscom(formerly Genevieve I. Magnuson) Saratoga, California a part interest toGenevieve I. l-Ianscom, Robert Magnuson, Lois J. Thomson (formerly LoisJ. Duggan), Trustees of the Estate of Roy M. Magnuson [54] SHUFFLE FEEDSIZING MECHANISM 11 Claims, 14 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S. Cl .L 209/73, 209/98 [51] Int. Cl B07b 13/04 [50] Field ofSearch 209/97, 98, 106, 85, 73, 74, 379

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,133,061 10/1938 Strayer209/97X Primary Examiner- Allen N. Knowles 7 Attorney-Allen and ChromyABSTRACT: A shuffle feed sizing structure wherein articles areprogressed from valley to valley over a shuffle feed mechanism and asthey progress the article advancing face of the shuffle feed memberprovides a sizing opening 'of a given width so that the articles smallenough to fall through the opening are discharged downwardly beneath-theshuffle feed at this point. Various widths of sizing openings areprovided along the length of the shuffle feed as required and thelargest articles are discharged over the end. Adjacent each of thesizing openings is a rotatable roller serving to roll the articles asthey are advanced so that the smallest diameter of an article willdetermine its passing through the sizing opening. Means arealso'provided for ejecting articles from the sizing opening if they tendto become wedged or if they remain in front-of the sizing opening butare too large to pass through the opening.

Sheet 1 of 3 INVENTOR, CHESTER GREEN ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 1, 1970Sheet 3 of 3 INVENTOR. CHESTER GREEN ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 1, 19703,543,928

Sheet otS mega g W052 M ATTERNEYS HUFFLE. EE! SIZEQMEQHA DESCRIPTION OFINVENTION This invention is concerned with the use of the shuffle feedmembers of the usual type of shuffle feed mechanism to provide a sizingoperation on articles being progressed over the shuffle feed. After thearticles have been alined at the bottom of the shuffle feed mechanism,so as to be oriented lengthwise and in a row, the sizing operationbegins and as the articles are advanced by shuffle feed member having asizing opening in its article advancing face, the articles are turned sothat the smallest diameter of the article is presented to the openingfor the sizing operation. The sorting openings become progressivelywider as the articles are progressed along the shuffle feed and thelargest articles which are due to pass over the end of the shuffle feedare in some cases cut into so as to be of a comparable size with some ofthe smaller articles, such as potatoes for example.

Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a shuffle feedmechanism which will perform a sizing operation during the shuffle feedof the articles. 7

Another object of the invention is to provide a shuffle feed of theabove character in which the sizing opening is defined by one or morerollers which provide for rotation of the article as it is being gaugedfor size.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a shuffle feedsizing structure of the above character in which the sizing opening ismovable to an article rejecting position to eject the article which istoo large at an appropriate time and to dislodge an article which may beimproperly engaged with the sizing opening.

A further object of the invention is to provide a shuffle feed sizingmechanism of the above character in which after sizing stroke the sizingopening is enlarged for rejection of oversized articles from the sizingopening.

Still another object of the invention is to provide improved sizingmethod in which the sizing openings are periodically cleared of anyobjects which have become wedged therein.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing description of certain preferred embodiments of the invention,as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a shuffle feed sizing structure;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of the sizing face of one ofthe shuffle feed sizing members;

FIG. 2a is a fragmentary enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 2illustrating a spring mounting;

FIG. 3 is a schematic side elevational view, partly in section,illustrating one phase of the sizing operation on potatoes;

FIGS. 4 and 5 are views similar to FIG. 3 illustrating further relationof the parts during the relative movement between two adjacent shufflemembers;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the discharge end ofthe apparatus and illustrating the cutting operation;

FIG. 7 is a front elevational view taken in a plane indicated by theline 7-7 in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a view generallysimilar to FIGS. 35 and illustrating amodified form of the invention;

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 8 and illustrating a second modifiedform of the invention;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the modification of the invention shownin FIG. 8;

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary view of the roller having a serrated surfacefor engaging serrated drive members on one of the shuffle feed membersadjacent thereto;

FIG. 12 is a fragmentary elevational view taken as indicated by the line12-12 in FIG. 9; and

FIG. 13 is a fragmentary side elevational view similar to FIGS. 8 and 9,and illustrating a further modified form of the invention.

Generally, the shuffle feed structure 11 (FIGS. 1, 2 and 3) comprisessimilar movable sets of upper shuffle members 13 and lower shufflemembers 14 which are generally rectangular in their construction and aremounted in inclined position having a long upwardly facing articlesupporting portion and a short upwardly facing article feeding andsupporting portion. The lower set of shuffle feed members 14 extendbetween and are secured to opposite frame members 16 in the form of sideplates which which confine the articles within the transverse dimensionof the shuffle feed. These opposite lower members 14 are supported fromthe frame 15 by four par parallel links 17. The other shuffle feedmembers 13 are carried by upwardly projecting angles from an upper pairof opposite frame members or plates 19 which are supported by fourparallel links 17. The means for driving or reciprocating the sets ofshuffle feed members in opposite directions comprises a motor driventransverse shaft 33 suitably journaled on the frame and carryingrespective pairs of eccentrics 34 whose eccentric followers areconnected by the links 21 with the upper set of shuffle members 13 andthe lower set of shuffle members 14, respectively. These shuffle membersmove in opposite directions simultaneously to effect the feedingmovement.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3 the shuffle feed members 14 include bent sideflanges 41, which project slightly beyond an article supporting andadvancing face 42 which extends between the two opposite side flanges41. Each of the flanges 41 carry a stud 43 upon which a control roller44 is mounted referred to, more particularly, hereinafter. The adjacentshuffle feed sizing member 13 includes respective side flanges 46 joinedacross the top of the shuffle feed member by an article supportingsurface 47, so that an opening 48 is provided in the article advancingface of this shuffle feed member 13. The respective side plates 19 forthis shuffle feed member 13 provide a journal for respective pivotshafts 51 at either side and these pivot shafts 61 provide a support fora sizing frame 52 which affords a framing for the opening 48. The frame52 (FIG. 2) is spring urged in a counterclockwise direction to bemaintained in sizing position across the advancing face of the flight 13and for this purpose the pivot shaft '51 projects through the framemember 19 (FIGS. 2 and 2 a) and is slotted to receive the end of aspiral spring 50, the projecting end of the spring being anchored by anear 50a. The sizing frame is made up of a side lever 52, a bottomcrossroller 53, and an upper sizing bar 54 attached to the respectivelevers 52 by means of suitable screws. The lever 52 has a dependingportion 520 which is alined with the control roller 44 on the adjacentshuffle members 14. As the relative movement of the adjacent shufflemembers 13'and l4 continues in the direction indicated by the arrows inFIG. 3, FIGS. 4 and 5, the roller 44 eventually contacts the lever arm52a of the lever 52 and causes it and sizing frame 52 to rotate in aclockwise direction to eject any articles too large to pass through thesizing opening over the end of the adjacent shuffle feed member 14.

It will be noted in FIGS. 3 and 4 that during the advance of the shufflefeed members 14, each of these is contacted on its upper surface by therespective roller 53 of the adjacent sizing opening so that this rollerrotates and also rotates the article resting thereagainst to insure thatit presents the smallest diameter to the sizing opening. When the end ofthis relative movement is reached and the shuffle members 13 and 14start to move opposite to each other then any articles remaining incontact with or partially in the sizing opening 48 are ejected.

As seen in FIGS. 1, 6 and 7, the end shuffle feed members and 14arespectively are formed with arcuate pockets 61 in their articleadvancing faces so as to center an elongated article such as a potatowith its length parallel to the transverse length of the shuffle memberand centered in a pocket 61. The endmost shuffle feed member has itspocket split to carry an article such as a potato A past a stationaryknife 62 carried by a frame 63 so that the article is split in half to amore compatible size with the remaining articles which have been sized.

Referring to FIG. 1, a transverse feed belt 66 extends underneath theshuffle feed members and it has various partition members 67 supportedthereabove to divide the belt into different compartments to receivedifferent sizes of the articles being sorted. For example, if potatoesare being sorted the smaller potatoes are directed by a chute 68 to theleftmost path, the intermediate sized potatoes are carried by a chute 69to the middle compartment, andthe larger potatoes will be directed by achute 70 to the rightmost compartment on the belt 66.

Referring to FIGS. 8 and a modified form of the invention is shownwherein the sizing opening 48 has provided adjacent the upper edgethereof an article ejecting blade 76 carried by a transverse shaft 77pivoted in the sidewalls 46 of the shuffle feed sizing member 13. Thisejecting blade 76 is normally in an out of the way position as seen infull lines in FIG. 8. The supporting shaft 77 for the ejecting blade 76carries at each end an upright arm 78 which is disposed in the path of aroller 79 journaled on the adjacent shuffle member 14. The arms 78 aremaintained in upright position and the blade 76 in its out of the wayposition by a spiral spring having one end fastened to the shaft and theother end fastened to the sidewall 46 of the shuffle feed sizing member13. When the shuffle member 14 moves in the direction of the arrow inFIG. 8, the arms 78, the shaft 77 and the ejecting blade76 are swungfrom the full line shown to the dotted line position so as to eject apotato 80 from the opening. In the event an article being sized, such asa potato for example, is late in entering the sizing opening so as tointerfere with the swinging of the ejecting blade 76, such an articlewill be crushed or cut so as to avoid jamming of the mechanism.

Referring to FIGS. 9 and 12 another modified form of the invention isshown wherein a sizing frame 82 is mounted and controlled in the samemanner as disclosed in connection with the sizing frame 52. This sizingframe 82 carries movable means in the form of a roller or sleeve 83journaled on a transverse shaft 84 to define the upper edge of thesizing opening, the lower edge being defined by the roller 53. The shaft84 may be mounted in any one of a series of semicircular recesses 86 insidearms of the frame 82 and is held in place in the selected recess byrespective clamping plates 87 at either side of the frame. Clampingplates 87 are each secured in place by a screw 88. To provide for sureejection of any article which is of a size to become wedged between theupper roller 83 and lower roller 53 defining the sizing opening, meansis provided at the end of the sizing stroke of the shuffle feed sizingmember to separate these rollers at the same time that the sizing frameis tilted from a sizing position to an article rejecting position. Thesizing frame 82 is pivotally mounted about a pivot pin 81 in a downwardextension 46a carried by the sidewall 46 of shuffle member 13. Theroller 53 defining the lower edge of the sizing opening is journaled ina lever 96 (FIGS. 9 and 12) which in turn is carried by a pair of pivotpins 97in the respective side frame members 82. As seen in FIG. 12 thelever 96 depends along the side of and in alinement with the dependingpart of the lever or side frame member 82. The sizing frame 82 is springurged to its. normal sizing position by a coil leaf spring (not shown)similar to the spring 50 in FIGS. 2 and 2a so that the frame 82 isnormally spring held in the full line position shown in FIG. 9. Thelever or arm 96 is held by gravity in a similar position. A pin 98 inthe depending part of the arm 82 (FIGS. 9 and 12) extends in overlappingrelation with a cutaway part 99 of the lever 96 in order to hold theroller 53 against movement upwardly from its proper position in rollingcontact with a track 105 secured on the lower adjacent shuffle member14. By appropriately changing the diameter of the pin 98 an adjustmentof roller 53 with reference to its track 105 can be made. Both the lever96 ad and the depending part of the side frame member 82 will be engagedby the roller 79 as shown in dotted lines in FIG. 9 and will be turnedabout their respective pivots 81 and 97. Comparing the full linepositions of the rollers 83 and 53 in FIG. 9 with the dotted linepositions thereof it is seen that the dotted line positions are spacedfurther apart so that a potato which becomes wedged in the opening willbe freed when the frame.

82 and roller 53 are moved to their potato rejection positions at theend of a sizing stroke of the shuffle feed sizing member. It will benoted that the track has a downwardly bent forward position 1050 alongwhich the roller 53 travels at the end of its movement to its dottedline position.

Referring to FIG. 13, a further modified form of the invention is shownwhich is generally similar to FIG. 8 and having a fixed bar 102 todefine the upper edge of the sizing opening together with the roller 53defining the lower edge of the sizing opening. The roller 53 is mountedin a side frame member 101 which is carried by a pivot shaft 98 in thecorresponding side frame of the shuffle feed. This pivot shaft 98 alsocarries a rejection blade 99 extending transversely across the bottom ofthe sizing opening. The blade 99 is swung from its position parallel tothe sizing opening to a position seen at the right in FIG. 13 where itis in inclined position, thus, making a potato ejection sweep throughthe sizing opening, this sweep being made at the same time that theroller 53 is lowered to increase the size of the opening so as to aid inejection of any potato which might be wedged therein. This movement ofthe side frame member 101, rejection blade 99 and the bottom sizingroller 53 are all effected in the usual manner by roller 79 mounted inthe adjacent shuffle feed member.

Referring to FIG. 11 a particular form of roller construction is shownfor the bottom roller 53 which is journaled on the cross shaft 92 andthis roller 91 has longitudinal ridges or knurls 93 which engage withand are driven by a similarly ridged plate 94 secured on the adjacentupper surface of the shuffle feed member 14. These ridges 93 and 94 aresimilar to straight knurling so as to enhance the drive for the roller91.

While I have shown and described certain preferred embodiments of theinvention, it is apparent that the invention is capable of variation andmodification from the forms shown so that the scope thereof should belimited only by the proper scope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. In a shuffle feed sizing mechanism having a first set of shufflemembers extending transversely to the length of the machine, and asecond set of similarly disposed shuffle members arranged in alternatingparallel relation with said first set to provide transverse valleys,means for effecting reciprocation of at least one set of said members toadvance an article from valley to valley of the feed mechanism, each ofsaid shuffle members having a front face which is primarily an articleadvancing face and an upper face forming a corner with said front faceand providing an article supporting surface, one of said shuffle membersof said first set having means defining a sizing opening in the articleadvancing face thereof, means responsive to movement of said definingmeans on said sizing mechanism to change the position of said definingmeans from a sizing position to an article rejecting position.

2. In a shuffle feed sizing mechanism as recited in claim 1 in whichsaid frame is normally disposed with respect to the reciprocatory pathof said one shuffle member in a sizing position in which the bottom edgeof said sizing opening is in advanced position with respect to the topedge of said sizing opening and in the article rejecting position ofsaid frame, said top edge is advanced with respect to said bottom edge.

3. In a shuffle feed sizing mechanism as recited in claim 1 in whichsaid movably mounted frame includes a part extending in overlappingrelation with a portion of said shuffle member of said second set, andmeans on said shuffle member of said second set to engage saidoverlapping part during relative reciprocatory movement of said shufflemembers to effect movement of said frame away from said one shufflemember of said first set.

47 In a shuffle feed sizing mechanism as recited in claim 2, whichincludes a blade extending transversely across said sizing opening andnormally disposed in an out of the way position so as to leave saidopening unobstructed, and said blade being movable with said frame toaid in ejecting arty articles which partially enter said opening butcannot pass therethrough.

5. In a shuffle feed sizing mechanism as recited in claim 4 in whichsaid blade has a pivotal mounting and is normally disposed out of thepath of said sizing opening, and operating means on an adjacent one ofsaid shufile members to operate said blade to cause it to sweep throughsaid sizing opening to eject articles therefrom.

6. In a shuffle feed sizing mechanism having a first set of shufflemembers extending transversely to the length of the machine, and asecond set of similarly disposed shuffle members arranged in alternatingparallel relation with said first set to provide transverse valleys,means for effecting reciprocation of at least one set of said members toadvance an article from valley to valley of the feed mechanism, each ofsaid shuffle members having a front face which is primarily an articleadvancing face and an upper face forming a corner with said front faceand providing an article supporting surface, one of said shuffle membersof said first set having a sizing opening formed in the articleadvancing face thereof, movable means positioned on said mechanism todefine the bottom of the sizing opening, said movable means beingpositioned to engage a part of the shufile feed mechanism and to beoperated thereby.

7. In a shuffle feed sizing mechanism as recited in claim 6 in which theupper edge of said sizing opening comprises movable means.

8. In a shuffle feed sizing mechanism as recited in claim 7 in whichboth said movable means comprise rollers.

9. In a shuffle feed sizing mechanism as recited in claim 6, in whichmovable mounting means is provided for said movable means and means isprovided for actuating said movable mounting means and said movablemeans at the end of a sizing operation to a position to widen saidsizing opening.

10. ln a shuffle feed sizing mechanism as recited in claim 6, in whichmeans are provided to widen said sizing opening after a sizing operationso as to enable discharge from said opening of an article which hasbecome wedged therein.

11. In a shuffle feed sizing mechanism as recited in claim 6, in whichthe sizing opening is defined by means including a sizing frame mountedfor movement on said one shuffle sizing member and in which said movablymounted frame includes a part extending in overlapping relation with aportion of said member of said second set, means mounting said movablemeans on said frame for movement relative thereto, said last namedmounting means extending in overlapping relation with said portion ofsaid shuffle member of said second set to be engaged thereby duringrelative reciprocatory movement of said shuffle members to effectmovement of said movable means to enlarge said sizing opening while saidframe is in article ejecting position.

